


It’s a Conversation

by captaincoffeegirl515



Series: Drift Compatible [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF, Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: M/M, Pacific Rim AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:29:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23140987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captaincoffeegirl515/pseuds/captaincoffeegirl515
Summary: Joe and Rami are best friends assigned to the Mark-4 Jaeger, Sledge Hammer. While defending Okinawa from a Kaiju, Rami is severely injured and Joe is left without a co-pilot.Joe is itching to get back into a Jaeger again but can't seem to match with anyone. Enter Ben, one of the newest recruits of the Jaeger program.
Relationships: Ben Hardy/Joe Mazzello
Series: Drift Compatible [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677541
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	It’s a Conversation

**Author's Note:**

> So, this started out as a random idea that would probably never be written, but halfasleepoetry and heybuddy-drabbles on tumblr are enablers and encouraged me to write this. So here we are!
> 
> Please forgive the badly written sex scene. I’ve never written smut before but my brain was very insistent on having one for this fic.
> 
> Also, kudos if you could tell who were the previous pilots of Sonic Volcano!

The Category-IV Kaiju they were fighting was built like a tank. Thick, armored plates covered it from head to toe, giving it an impenetrable shield that not even their plasmacannon could break through. It also spat streams of boiling acid that initially took them by surprise, hitting them on the side Rami controlled and making it harder and more painful for him to move. Needing some time to recover, the pair opted to back away until they found a weakness they could exploit.

Rami’s eyes widened. “Found an opening-”

_ There! _ Joe heard through the Drift. Or was it said? He could never seem to untangle which thoughts were his and which were Rami’s anymore.  _ Right between the top and bottom plates. A well-placed strike with the plasmablade- _

“We need to get close.” Rami said, getting into position for a sprint.

Joe laughed, already mirroring the movement. “Ooh, you just read my mind!”

“We’re sharing a Drift, dumbass.”

_ “Keep it together, boys.”  _ Gwil spoke up over the comms. _ “You still haven’t bested the beast yet.” _

“Copy that, Gwilly-boo.”

The mission controller sighed as the others in the control room snickered quietly at the nickname.  _ “Joe, I told you never to call me that.” _

_ On three. _

_ One.  _

_ Two.  _

_ Three! _

Sledge Hammer ran through the water with a shocking burst of speed, plasmablades activating mid-stride. They dodged another acid blast, and now that they were close enough, plunged the blade right between the armored plates and deep into the Kaiju. It squealed in pain and tried to wriggle free but the pair held fast.

_ Fuck, just die already! _ Joe swore.

Suddenly, Gwil yelled.  _ “Shit! There’s something going on with the Kaiju! It’s growing an extra limb!” _

The ‘limb’ rose ominously behind the Kaiju, and by the light of the Jaeger they could see that it ended in a menacing, curved point. The stinger swung in a deadly arc and broke through the right side of the conn-pod. Joe didn’t even have time to say anything. He only had one thought.  _ Rami. _ It was hooked around the rig holding him in place. A sharp tug later, and Rami was pulled out of the conn-pod and quickly disappeared behind the Kaiju after he was thrown over its shoulder.

Joe felt the pain and loss as if it was his own body that had been ripped out.

“RAMI!”

The Kaiju readied itself for another attack. 

Solo-piloting was a lot harder than he could imagine. He felt everything, the electrical currents running through the wiring, the gears shifting,  _ everything _ . Every injury on the Jaeger was an injury to his own body. The acid still corroding the outer layer burned on his right arm and thigh. The mental strain was overwhelming. But he couldn’t give up just yet. Joe pushed the blade deeper into the Kaiju. It cut easily through, but physically it felt like he was trying to lift a train. It swung again, only missing Joe’s rig by a few inches. At last, the Kaiju let out a final roar and went limp, sliding off the plasmablade and sinking beneath the waves.

Joe shakily unlatched himself from his rig. There was no way he could get the Sledge Hammer back to shore alone. He limped to the back of the conn and got into one of the escape pods.

He survived. But at what cost?

\----- 

The lights were too bright, Joe decided. It hung above him and burned into his retinas, making him squint painfully against the glare. It took him too long to realize that people were talking to him. Rather, he assumed they were talking. All it sounded like was a dull drone that was not one bit like Rami’s voice.

_ I don’t want to think about it. _ He cried to himself.

So Joe slept.

\-----

The next few weeks went by in a blur that Joe could only remember in snippets.

… 

Gwil had tears in his eyes when he ran into Joe’s hospital room. “We found him, Joe! We found Rami! He’s alive!”

The pilot had never broken down so fast before and he wept with relief as the taller man hugged him and celebrated.

… 

Joe held on to Rami for dear life, squeezing his best friend tight. Tears streamed down his face, soaking his partner’s hospital gown.

“I thought I lost you.”

“You didn’t. I’m here, Joe. I’m here.”

… 

“So when can you get back?” 

Rami sighed sadly. Spinal injury was no joke and he was told that even with all the medical advancements in the PPDC, he would most likely need a wheelchair for the rest of his life. 

“Joe, my piloting days are done. I’m sorry.”

… 

“He hit the water at, like, a hundred miles an hour!” Gwil knew that he was exaggerating, but he needed Joe to understand that Rami wouldn’t be able to co-pilot anymore, much less walk. “He’s lucky to even be alive!”

The Welshman sighed, placing his hand on the pilot’s shoulder comfortingly. “Look, I don’t know what’s going on in that big overthinking head of yours - that’s Rami’s job after all - but I get it. All this drama isn’t because you can’t wait to get back to fighting Kaijus so soon. It’s because you’re worried for him and you want him to get better.”

In a blink, Joe’s face crumpled and Gwil was faced with a sobbing mess.

“I just- I should’ve been faster. Should’ve done  _ something  _ better. This is all my fault!”

“Absolutely not! Rami knew the risks he was taking when he joined the Jaeger program, and so did you. It’s not your fault and he would never blame you for what happened.”

… 

“So what am I supposed to do now?” Joe asked the Marshal. So far, he’d been doing nothing but lay around or go to therapy ever since Rami had been moved out of their shared quarters to a room closer to the Medical Wing.

“Simple. You are to go back to training, and once you’re ready, we’re going to find you a partner.”

“Rami’s my partner.” He answered stubbornly.

“Rami needs knee braces and crutches to get around. He can barely stand on his own, much less pilot a Jaeger. If you really want to do this, you will need a new partner.”

\-----

_ Six months later. _

“None of them can keep up!” Joe complained around a mouthful of mashed potatoes, not caring at all as small chunks fell back onto his plate. It’s been two months since he was allowed to get back to training and begin looking for a co-pilot. He was  _ dying  _ to get back in a Jaeger but couldn’t seem to find a match.

Rami gave him a lopsided smile. “Maybe you could try going easy on them? It’s not a competition-”

“It’s a conversation. Yes, I know. But why should I lower my standards for someone who isn’t good enough for me?”

He snorted. “You make it sound like you’re trying to get a date.”

“It’s basically the same thing with the way everyone keeps yapping about it!’ Joe grimaced. “You ‘talk’ and ‘get to know’ your partner to see how ‘compatible’ you two are, and you match up with ‘someone who completes you the way you complete them’.” He grouched sarcastically.

The Egyptian put a hand over his heart and fluttered his eyelids as if he was a character in one of Lucy’s favorite telenovelas. “Oh, Joe! I never knew you thought of me that way! All these years…”

He only broke character when Joe started fake-gagging and throwing grapes at him, and they giggled until they were red in the face and out of breath.

\-----

The referee sighed tiredly as Joe easily knocked down yet another recruit.

“Point for Mazzello. Do you even  _ want  _ a co-pilot?”

The Jaeger pilot jut his chin out in a show of stubbornness and pride. “Give me someone good enough, first.”

He shrugged in a way that clearly said ‘why do I even bother’ and called for the next person on the list. 

“Ben Hardy! You’re up.” 

The sea of recruits parted in the middle to show a young, muscular, blond standing at the very back of the crowd. Ben’s green eyes were wide and he shifted nervously at being called to the front so suddenly. 

The recruit was given a bo staff and told to take his place on the mat. 

Joe hopped a few times as a warm-up, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He didn't have the patience to be dealing with another muscle-headed rookie that thinks punching things will solve all his problems. 

“Start!”

Ben rushed at him with a burst of energy and a flurry of hits. Joe blocked each blow easily but was blindsided when the blond went down instead of continuing his strikes and swiped out pilot’s legs from behind, dropping him on his back and knocking the air out of his lungs. An instant later, one end of a staff was pressed against his neck, and on the other was a smug-faced Ben. 

The referee’s eyes bugged out. He’d never seen Mazzello lose to anyone before. A few recruits whooped and cheered.

“Point for Hardy.” 

“You wanna know why you lost?” Ben asked as he helped Joe to his feet. 

_ Yeah, yeah, I underestimated you. _ Joe thought to himself, but he had a feeling this guy was different. “Why?”

“You’re old.”

Joe snorted. “Oh really?” 

“Yeah.” His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Getting a little slow.”

They took their places again and waited for the signal.

“Start!”

This time, he was ready when Ben went for his legs again and he brought down his staff to block the attack. Instead of stepping away, the experienced pilot moved closer and used a maneuver that he knew recruits weren’t taught, to disarm him and send his staff flying into the crowd. Then, he dropped his own staff in favor of grabbing Ben’s arm and twisting them both, using the blond’s weight against him to knock him to the ground. From behind, Joe snaked an arm around Ben’s neck and trapped him in a chokehold.

He pushed Ben down, pressing the side of his head onto the mat. The recruit’s face was flushed as he struggled to break free and Joe had to tamp down the sudden rush of arousal pooling in his groin. Ben bucked, trying to dislodge him but Joe held fast, wrapping his body against the other’s back and using his legs to keep Ben pinned. The veteran made sure to lock his ankles together to prevent Ben from prying him off.

“Hey, you want to know why I’m winning?” Joe couldn’t resist the urge to throw his words back at him. “I’m old.”

“Fuck you.” He grunted, trying to get some air past the chokehold. He bucked again, but in this awkward position, he ended up pressing his ass against Joe’s groin. And slowly stiffening cock.

Ben sucked in a breath, eyes widening when he realized what  _ that  _ was. Then he looked the vet in the eyes and smirked. Joe was never going to live this down.

“Point for Mazzello.” The referee called out, completely unaware of what was transpiring between the two.

Ben rested his weight on his right leg. His face was still red and he was breathing hard but he was grinning as they retrieved their staffs and got into the starting position. “Getting a little worked up?” He teased.

“You wish.”

“Start!”

This time, they slowly circled each other like lions, testing for weaknesses and throwing bluffs. They watched each movement the other made and studied the smallest gestures, remembering how the other fought in the previous matches.

_ He favors his right leg. _

_ Likes shifting his weight to the balls of his feet. _

_ Prefers lowering his body. _

_ Old injury on his right. _

_ Uses his legs a lot. _

_ He’s shifting his feet now, ready to rush at me.  _

Using the staff like a spear, Joe leapt forward and stabbed at Ben, who whirled his own staff lightning-quick to deflect the blows. __

_ He’s going down again, putting weight on one leg while the other is about to swing.  _

Joe jumped, just barely dodging the leg swipe. __

_ Twisting while lifting his foot. _

He retaliated with a kick to the blond’s head and Ben ducked, already thinking of another counter-attack. 

Joe lost track of time. Word of mouth say they were at it for nearly fifteen minutes but he swore it only felt like a minute or two. He finally found someone who could keep him on his toes  _ and it was exhilarating _ .

They danced around each other, trading blows back and forth like an ocean’s waves. The rest of the class watched in shocked silence as the two moved fluidly against each other.

Finally, Ben’s left knee buckled and Joe quickly took advantage of the momentary distraction. He tackled the blond to the ground and pinned him on his back. 

Ben panted, breathing heavily from the sparring match. He tried to push the redhead off only to have his wrists roughly pinned above his head. Joe shifted his weight, making it harder to knock the veteran off. Still, Ben wriggled in an attempt to get loose. Being pinned like this would make anyone feel vulnerable and helpless, but strangely enough, he felt safe under Joe. 

After a beat, the referee called score. 

“Point for Mazzello.” 

Joe got up and pulled Ben to his feet to the sounds of raucous applause. Even the referee was clapping.

“Looks like you two are Drift-compatible.” He announced. “Report to the Marshal. In the future, you’ll be having Jaeger training and Drift simulations as co-pilots.” 

\-----

Feeling like they should get to know each other more, Joe decided to invite his new co-pilot to his favorite spot in the Shatterdome and spend dinner together. They sat shoulder to shoulder, legs dangling in the air, high up on one of the platforms overlooking the Jaeger bay.

He sighed, thinking about all the good memories he had on that platform. “You know, Rami and I used to climb up here whenever we could and watch the repairs. It’s amazing to see how these guys were built. Wait til we get to see  _ our  _ Jaeger. They told me it’s an old Mark-3 called Sonic Volcano. They’ll be restoring it  _ right here _ !” 

Ben hummed noncommittally, but Joe could tell he was distracted.

He softly bumped their shoulders together. “What’s eating you, bud?”

After a moment’s hesitation, the blond blurted out, “I lied.” 

Joe blinked.

“What?” 

“When I signed up for the program, they wanted to know why. I told them I wanted to ‘do my part’.” He scoffed at himself. “I didn't join the program to help people, I did it out of spite.” 

He fell silent after his admission and it was only after more prompting from Joe that he spoke up again.

“Back home, I wasn’t the most popular kid. Growing up, kids would call me names, call me a fat chicken. I just wanted to prove to those bullies that I’m not the scared farmboy from Dorset anymore.” 

Joe snorted. “Dunno about you, but I went to a farm once, and the chickens were the most terrifying things there. And I’ve been face-to-face with Kaiju!”

“That’s good to know.” Ben gave him a small smile but his eyes betrayed his fear.

“Hey, I mean it. Enlisting for the program is scary enough especially when you know there’s a huge possibility you’ll end up killed. Not only that, you got through training  _ and  _ simulations. Now you’re going to be an actual Jaeger pilot. Those assholes wouldn’t know bravery even if they walked into it and it's rock-hard abs.” Joe softly punched Ben’s stomach to make his point.

This time, the smile was genuine. “Thanks, Joe.”

“Why are you telling me all this anyway?”

He shrugged. “I dunno. I suppose I’d rather you hear this from me than find out when we have the Drift simulations.”

Joe hummed thoughtfully. “That’s actually a good idea. That way, we don’t end up locking onto each other’s memories and chasing the R.A.B.I.T.. Don’t do that by the way. Gonna make the Drift unstable.” 

Ben nodded mutely, mulling over his advice.

“Any other secrets you’d like to tell me?”

He shook his head, and they fell into an easy silence.

They finished their dinner like that, watching the J-team repair the other Jaegers and bring them back to their former glory. Ben was about to start packing up when Joe chuckled out of the blue. “Rami’s craving for a chocolate banana smoothie again.” He explained with a grin.

Ben watched him curiously. “How do you know?”

“It’s called a Ghost-Drift. You Drift with someone enough times, and you start feeling like you’re connected even when it’s over. It’s not as strong as the real deal, but you still get snippets, feelings,” he elbowed the blond lightly and wagged his eyebrows suggestively, “a few dirty thoughts.”

The blond snorted a bit, then grew serious. For some reason, Ben looked a bit sad with his answer. “So, the both of you… you’re…” he trailed off awkwardly.

Joe scrunched his eyebrows, confused. “Both of us, what?”

He shrugged, a faint blush growing on his cheeks. Joe could see he was embarrassed and trying to be evasive, but about what, he couldn’t tell. “You know…”

“Benny, you’re gonna have to be a lot more specific than that.”

“I- well, most Jaeger teams are either related or in a relationship, so…” Ben twiddled his thumbs in a nervous gesture when Joe continued to stare uncomprehendingly at him. “I mean, you’re clearly not related.”

Then it  _ clicked _ .

Joe barked out a horrified laugh and crossed his arms to form an ‘X’. “OH! Woah, hey! No! Absolutely not! No, we’re just best friends. Like, I would never! And besides, he has a girlfriend. So, no, we’re not ‘you know’.”

“Oh.”

“Why do you ask?” He asked impishly, loving the way Ben blushed.

“Nothing!” Ben answered quickly, eager to change the subject. “Anyways, I should be going. I still haven’t seen my new quarters yet.”

“Ohoho! You’re not getting away that easily! We’re a team now so we’ve got shared quarters. I’ll show you.” Joe grinned, leading the way. Behind him, Ben groaned under his breath. 

“Just my luck.”

\-----

“By the way, I sleep in the nude.” Joe remarked nonchalantly as Ben set his duffel bag underneath his own bed. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Ben snorted. “I hope you’re joking.”

“Oh no. I’m not kidding, buddy. You’re gonna get an eyeful tonight.”

“You sure it’s just an eyeful? It seemed like you were thinking of something else back in the Kwoon.”

Joe gasped in mock-offense. “How dare you accuse me like that!”

They shared a laugh then fell silent after that, both men unsure of how to continue the train of thought. Ben distracted himself by looking around their new shared space while Joe watched him with a thoughtful look in his eye.

“Hey, Ben,” he called out nervously. He never liked talking about The Incident with anyone.  _ But Ben isn’t anyone. Not anymore. _

“While we’re on the topic of bad memories,” the veteran pilot silently took off his shirt in front of Ben. An uncountable number of scars ran across his torso and disappeared below his pants, following the pattern of the relay wires inside every pilot’s drivesuit. “When Rami and I were fighting a Kaiju, it got the jump on us and broke through the conn and grabbed Rami. I felt him getting ripped out of the conn-pod and I thought he died. Then, I had to pilot on my own to kill it.”

He sat heavily on his bed, reliving painful memories. “That’s my trauma. Just thought you’d need to know for the Drift simulation.”

Ben held his breath, seeing all the pain and suffering his partner had gone through as a Jaeger pilot. He sat down beside the older man, wanting to comfort him, only to stop an inch away from touching. His hand hovered over the electrical scars littering Joe’s body. 

“May I?” He asked softly.

After a moment, Joe nodded and let out a relaxed sigh as Ben slowly traced the scars with reverence.

By the time he mapped the whole expanse of his back, Joe couldn’t hold back any longer. “Hey, I know that this is all of a sudden, but I really want to kiss you.”

Ben’s eyes widened at the confession but he nodded quickly. “Yes, please.”

If Rami was to ask him how it happened - which he will - Joe would only be able to shrug. One moment, they were pressing chaste kisses on each other’s lips, then somehow they grew more heated with Joe exploring the inside of Ben’s mouth with his tongue. Hands were everywhere, touching, caressing, learning every inch of their partner’s body.

But Joe wanted  _ more _ . He moved his hand lower and cupped Ben through his pants. He was already half-hard. The blond let out a shaky gasp and bucked into Joe’s hand. “Oh god, yes please!”

In moments, their clothes were off and strewn across the floor. Ben rolled onto his back and spread his legs, submitting to his more experienced partner. 

Joe settled between his partner’s thighs, and his cock twitched at the sight of the blond staring up at him with wide, earnest eyes, and laying in that open, vulnerable position. He placed a hand flat against each thigh and pushed them farther apart, making Ben whimper, nervous.

“Have you done this before?” Joe asked, wanting to be sure.

Ben shook his head wildly. His hair fell over his forehead, making him look even younger. “Never.”

Joe’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. It made him worry a bit. He didn't want to be taking advantage of his younger partner. 

“Are you sure you want this? It’s okay if you don-”

“I do!” Ben answered quickly before gulping. “I really want this. Just nervous, is all. What if I’m not good enough?”

“Judging from everything I’ve seen from you, that's highly unlikely.” God, Joe loved it when Ben blushed. “We’ll go slow. Just tell me if anything hurts, alright?”

Ben nodded quietly and Joe dove across the bed to dig into his bedside drawer and pulled out a bottle of lube and a condom before settling back between those gorgeously thick thighs.  _ One day, I’m gonna leave beard burns all over these thighs. _ He thought to himself.

“How do you even have that anyways?” Ben blurted out, referring to the lube and condom.

“Excuse me, I am a grown man that has needs. Also, I like to be prepared.”

“Now, I'm going to start with one finger.” Joe said while spreading lube between his fingers on one hand and rolling a condom on with his other. “Tell me if anything hurts.” 

“Yes, sir.”

Blood rushed straight to his dick at that. Ben smiled smugly at Joe's reaction and the veteran lightly smacked his thigh. “Cheeky little bastard.” He scolded playfully. 

Joe lightly circled the rim with the pad of his finger and pushed slightly, testing the resistance before pressing in. Since Ben was new at this, he’d have to take his time making sure his partner was sufficiently relaxed and stretched. “How’re you feeling? Any pain?”

Ben frowned at the new feeling. “It’s alright I guess. Just a bit weird.”

“Trust me, it’ll get better in a bit.”

Joe started kissing his way along Ben’s jaw and neck to distract the blond from the intrusion. He nibbled the junction where his shoulder met his neck, and Ben shuddered with pleasure.

Once he felt the tightness lessen, he lubed up another finger and pressed them both inside.

Ben winced, and Joe immediately stopped his movements.

“I’m fine!” Ben gripped the sheets, willing his body to relax. “Please keep going!”

Joe nodded and slowly pumped his fingers in and out of the blond until Ben started to moan under him.

Experimentally, Joe curled his fingers to nudge at his prostate and Ben gasped loudly, back arching as he grabbed at the sheets, making Joe grin at the reaction.

“Fuck! Joe, do that again!”

Not wanting to disappoint, he repeated the movement again and again until the younger man was a moaning, writhing mess. Ben reached down to jerk himself off but Joe slapped the hand away and pushed it back onto the mattress. “Uh-uh. I want you to come untouched. Clear?”

He whimpered and nodded, trembling from the pleasure he was already feeling. _ And his dick isn’t even inside me yet. _

Joe alternated between circling his prostate and pressing hard against it. After a minute, he felt Ben’s body loosen enough to add a third digit.

Ben was loving it. He panted breathlessly and pushed back against Joe's fingers, seeking more friction. 

“Eager, aren’t you?” Joe couldn’t wait to fuck him into the mattress.

Ben moaned loudly. “I-I’m close! Fuck, Joe!” His body tensed, ready to snap.

“Well, we can’t have that happening yet, now can we?” Joe pulled his fingers out and watched the hole clench on nothing. 

Ben whined loudly at the loss. “Joe!” 

“Shhh, baby” Joe soothed as he poured lube over his aching cock. “Just wait a moment, love.”

“Ah!” Ben’s head fell back on the pillow when Joe finally started to enter him. It burned a little, but the pleasure far outweighed the pain. The short sound he first let out turned into a long, low keen as Joe slowly pushed inside without stopping. When he bottomed out, they both groaned. Ben was so tight around him.

“You alright, Ben?”

“Mm, yeah.” He gasped breathlessly. “Feel so full. You’re bigger than I thought.”

Joe smiled and bent down to kiss the blond, balancing on his elbows so he could bring both hands up to caress the large pecs. Using his thumbs and forefingers, he circled each nipple then pinched them, making Ben break the kiss gasping and press his chest closer to Joe. 

“It’s so good, Joe! Fuck!”

“Good.” Joe panted. “You feel amazing too, Ben.”

Joe kept still, waiting for him to adjust to his girth. As much as he wanted to move, he didn’t want to go too fast and hurt his partner. To distract himself, he ducked down to lick and suck on Ben’s hardened nipples, drawing a shuddering moan from the blond.

After a moment, Ben started to move impatiently, pushing himself deeper on Joe’s cock. “Joe, please. Move.” He begged.

_ Please. _

_ As you wish. _

Joe placed open-mouth kisses on every inch of Ben’s skin that he could reach as he slowly pulled out and pushed back in, never faltering in his movements, and Ben wrapped his arms around him, holding him close.

They quickly set a rhythm between them, moving in sync with each other. Every drag of Joe’s cock inside him drove Ben closer and closer to the edge.

When Joe felt Ben clench tighter around him, he snapped his hips in harder, aiming for Ben’s prostate.  _ He’s close.  _ Ben’s toes curled and his hands aimlessly grasped for purchase, his body feeling like a live-wire.

“Ah! Oh fuck, Joe! I- ah- Joe! Joe!”

Ben screamed Joe’s name, back arching as he came hard enough for his vision to black out. Joe didn’t stop moving, fucking him through his orgasm. He kept his eyes open, wanting to watch his new partner’s blissful experience. How his eyes fell shut and his mouth dropped into a perfect O, his entire face basking in pleasure as his body trembled and shook.

It turned him on even more and Joe couldn’t hold back any longer. He grunted, burying himself deep inside Ben and emptied himself into the condom.

They held each other close, caressing every inch of skin they could reach, kissing each other softly, and whispering sweet nothings as they helped each other calm down from their high.

After several minutes, Joe was finally able to gather his thoughts in a somewhat coherent manner and he straightened up, smiling down at the exhausted, beatific look on Ben’s face. 

“Gonna clean you up now, alright bud?”

Ben nodded, whining softly when Joe pulled out and stood up from the bed. He efficiently tied off and threw away the condom before heading to their bathroom to fetch a towel and some water. 

When Joe returned to the room, Ben was already dozing, having barely even moved from the position Joe last saw him in, but he woke from his light sleep when he felt Joe carefully wipe the drying cum from his chest and the extra lube on his ass and thighs.

“We should take a bath, but I don’t think you’ll be getting up anytime soon.” Joe commented wryly.

Ben continued to lay spread-eagled. “I don’t think I can move anymore. That was so good.”

“Well at least drink some water. I can’t have my partner getting dehydrated on me.” He said, offering the glass to blond, who barely mustered enough energy to tilt his head up.

“Baby.” Joe admonished softly as he pulled Ben up and helped him drink.

When the glass was emptied, he grabbed the blanket from the other bed and dragged it to the one they were using. Joe gently manhandled Ben so that he was lying on his side before wrapping himself over the younger man’s back and pulling the blanket to cover them both. Within moments they were fast asleep. 

\-----

The alarms blaring through the Shatterdome jolted Joe from his sleep. There was another Kaiju attack happening right now. Beside him, Ben groaned, trying to curl up and hide under their blanket from the noise. Joe laughed at the sight and he swatted his partner’s shoulder.

“Mmngh. What?” Ben popped his head out from under the blanket to glare at him.

Joe raised an eyebrow in retaliation. “That’s the Kaiju alarm. You’re lucky we’re still new, so we won’t be part of the active strike team yet.”

_ So that’s what this is?  _ The alarm ended, and Ben sat up with a contrite look on his face. “Sorry.”

Joe took one look at his face and deflated.  _ Those eyes are gonna be the death of me. _ He sighed, shaking his head. “No, don’t apologize. I’ve just been very,  _ very _ , impatient to get back in a Jaeger.”

Ben hesitated. “Is it scary?”

“I won’t lie to you, Ben. Fighting a Kaiju is terrifying. But as long as we work together and our bond is strong, we can get through anything. Just look at Sonic Volcano’s pilots. They made it to retirement!”

“That’s good to know.”

“It is.”

After a moment’s silence, Ben started playing with his hands again, and Joe was beginning to realize this was a habit he had when he was nervous about something. He took his partner’s hands in his own and rubbed his thumbs over the back, trying to comfort Ben.

“Hey, there’s nothing to be ashamed of with me. You can tell me anything, Ben.”

“It’s not like that… just…” He bit his lip and blushed bright red, shyly glancing at the redhead. 

Joe smiled softly when he understood. “This isn’t about a bad thing, is it?”

“Is it too early or can we have sex again?”


End file.
